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Presenter says pilot tax breaks failed as Hackensack City faces 10.25% levy increase
Summary
A presenter for Hackensack City outlined drivers of a proposed 2026 municipal levy increase—citing falling commercial valuations, tax appeals, expanded long-term pilot agreements that remove properties from the tax rolls, a $900,000 sewer-rate spike from the Bergen County Utilities Authority and expired SAFER grant funding for five firefighters.
Presenter for Hackensack City outlined the administration's proposed 2026 budget and said the city is confronting falling commercial valuations, higher health‑benefit costs and a large sewer rate increase that together necessitate a 10.25% increase to the municipal levy.
The presenter said valuations fell after 2015 through 2021, then dropped again beginning in 2022; commercial valuations fell for three consecutive years through 2024. He attributed the drop to two main causes: successful tax appeals that reduced assessments and long-term "pilot" agreements that remove commercial property from the tax rolls. "Pilots as a fiscal policy is not working," the presenter said, noting 18 pilot awards were granted through 2021 and 10 more were awarded between 2021 and 2026, three of…
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